The Ascension of Our Lord, May 28th Worship

As we go through life we hope for a few little triumphs.  So it was for Jesus’ disciples just before Christ was about to ascend to heaven.  "Lord," they said, "will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"  But God had a greater blessing in mind.  Christ's ascension means His triumph is over all humankind, all nations, kingdoms, and powers.  He who was crucified, died, and risen, now takes His victory with Him to sit at God's right hand in power and majesty. He is triumphant over all things forever.  

God's Spirit of Love, May 21st Worship

In the creed we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, . . . who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified.” The Holy Spirit is worshiped because He is God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. Even before His death, Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure. He would leave them by way of the cross. Then even though He rises from the dead, He will leave them again at His ascension. Yet He wants us to know and believe that He never really leaves us. He tells us that He will be with us always. He calls the Holy Spirit to embody His love among us. Though the Spirit is a person distinct from the Father and the Son, yet He is also the Spirit of Christ in the mystery of the Trinity. In this Easter season, as we celebrate Jesus raised from the dead, we begin to celebrate that by the Holy Spirit, we can live a whole new life, inspired by God’s abundant love among us.

The Certain Way, May 14th Worship

The Roman world of 2000 years ago worshiped many gods and had numerous official religions. By proclaiming Jesus as the only way, truth, and life, Christians set themselves apart. It took Jesus’ personal revelation to the disciples to get them to see who He was. After Easter Stephen and those who would follow him witnessed to our Lord not only with their words, but with their very lives. By the grace of God, they were able to see how He had been the hope embodied in all Scripture. And now it is our turn to speak of the security we know in Jesus, the certain way to the Eternal Father.

The Shepherd's Voice, May 7th Worship

Jesus uses a simple illustration to tell us something vitally important. His relationship to us is like a shepherd to his sheep. The shepherd knows each of his sheep and we know his voice when he calls.  Jesus also tells us that he is the gate of the sheep pen. He is the connection between earth and heaven. Jesus is the caretaker who promises to guard and care for us. He warns us about the thief who enters in a suspicious way and wants to steal us away. As we continue our celebration of Easter, hearing about our Good Shepherd adds to the good news: the One who left his grave alive stands in careful watch over our lives.

In His Present Glory, April 30th Worship

Two men are walking down a road and all of a sudden Jesus is right there with them. He seemed to appear out of nowhere. They were not sure who had joined them on their walk as he easily became part of the conversation. It took them a while before they suddenly figured out that this was the same Jesus who had the whole of Jerusalem buzzing with the news of His Resurrection. Just when we think God is some abstract, distant idea He can surprise us. God is closer than you think. He is in His present glory.

The Reality of the Resurrection, April 23rd Worship

An essential part of absorbing the implications of Jesus’ Resurrection is to understand that it is a solid historical fact. Things that happened two thousand years ago can get shrouded in myth and legend. But Jesus’ Resurrection was an event of such immense importance that great care was taken to record the details. Not just the Gospel writers but also historians of the era put the pieces together for us so that we can be sure. Jesus left His grave alive. Resurrection is a reality.

Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ is Risen Alive! April 16th

Jesus is alive! He is risen indeed. This changes everything. Since Jesus rose from the dead, we know He can bring life to any situation; He will be able to raise us from death to an everlasting life.  We celebrate that Jesus is alive. Christ is Risen!

Palm Sunday Worship, The King's Parade, April 9th

The eternal King of all comes riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. In this moment no one could sit on the sidelines, it was time to join in the simple innocent parade that celebrated Jesus’ arrival. So many had been touched by His warmth. They had been impressed by the miraculous things He had done. They were ready to call Jesus King. But it was also risky and dangerous for Jesus to enter through the gates of the great city. There were those who considered Him a threat. Just five days later Jesus will be crucified. Then it seemed as if darkness and doubt had won. Who in Jerusalem could guess that the celebration of this King was just beginning? The eternal triumph would be His!

God's Love has the Last Word, April 2nd Worship

The raising of Lazarus from death was the dramatic event that led to Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. Jesus knew that by calling his friend back from the grave he would put his own life in danger. Those who were afraid that Jesus was gaining too much of a following would not be able to ignore such a powerful event. But Jesus had come into the world to make sure that God’s love will always have the last word even if he had to sacrifice himself to prove that point. Today, as we continue our Lenten journey we can appreciate what it means that God’s love has the last word in our lives.

• 4/2/2017 - No Sermon Audio this week.  There were recording difficulties.           Sorry to those who look forward to listening.   

New Sight of God, March 26 Worship

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation," says Paul. When Jesus gave sight to a blind man it seemed to confirm God’s ability to be endlessly creative. Not everyone saw it that way. Some found nothing but questions about Jesus’ intent. We all have endless powers of skepticism or doubt. Instead we can simply look at what God can do and celebrate His ability to make things anew. It’s a whole new view.